NEW YORK—As
part of an ongoing review of services to prevent
and reduce homelessness, Mayor Bill de Blasio today directed his
administration to enhance security measures and add more mental health
professionals to increase safety at shelters and support mentally ill,
homeless New Yorkers. The Administration also is
implementing a new 24/7 communication process between NYC Health +
Hospitals and Department of Homelessness Services shelters to ensure
better coordinated case management and allow shelter operators to better
support clients.

“The
murder of one of our shelter residents is shocking and disturbing, and
we must address shelter security with urgency. Our shelters should be
safe environments
where homeless people, with and without mental illness, can be treated
with respect, become self-sufficient and move to permanent housing,”
said Mayor de Blasio.

NYPD
is increasing security at the Boulevard Homeless Shelter in East
Harlem, where the murder of a shelter resident occurred, and will
complete a system-wide security assessment
of all 27 mental health shelters within the next 10 days.

Other efforts to improve security at shelters and increase mental health services include the following:

·The
City will deploy new mental health teams to DHS shelter intake centers
to evaluate service and shelter placement needs of clients.

·DHS
and HHC will implement a new 24/7 protocol for discharges of clients
from HHC facilities to DHS shelters to communicate statusand treatment needs.

Mayor
de Blasio has developed and is implementing one of the most
comprehensive plans to prevent and reduce homelessness in the country.
Currently an extensive,
90-day review, conducted by First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris, Deputy
Mayor Dr. Herminia Palacio, HRA Commissioner Steve Banks and Operations
Director Mindy Tarlow, is underway to improve existing services and
coordination of all homelessness policies and
programs.

Since
his election, Mayor de Blasio has moved over 22,000 homeless
individuals into permanent housing and helped to prevent over 91,000 New
Yorkers from becoming
homeless. He also: